IT WAS ONE OF THOSE STORIES THAT SLIPPED THROUGH THE CRACKS THIS PAST WEEK IN THE HEAT OF A HEATED TAMPA BAY-NEW JERSEY STANLEY CUP SERIES. TAMPA RIGHT WINGER ROB DIMAIO REVEALED TO HIS TEAMMATES THAT DOCTORS HAVE WARNED THAT HE WOULD BE JEOPARDIZING HIS LIFE IF HE WERE TO RETURN TO THE ACTIVE NHL. DIMAIO NOW BECOMES THE POSTER CHILD FOR THE DANGERS OF "POST CONCUSSION SYNDROME".
THE DIMAIO AFFAIR BEGAN HERE IN MONTREAL DURING AN EXHIBITION GAME LAST SEPTEMBER 26 . GUILLAUME LATENDRESSE BLIND-SIDED DIMAIO SLAMMING HIM UP AGAINST THE GLASS. LATENDRESSE WAS THROWN OUT OF THE GAME AND SUSPENDED AND DIMAIO, WHO SUFFERED THE 4TH CONCUSSION OF HIS CAREER HASN'T PLAYED OR PRACTICED SINCE AND NEVER WILL. YES IT'S THE SAME SAD CONTINUING SONG. WE HAD ANOTHER STRETCHER CASE THIS WEEK AND FOR THE THIRD TIME THIS YEAR COLBY ARMSTRONG OF THE PENGUINS WAS THE CULPRIT. ARMSTRONG CAUGHT PATRICK EAVES OF THE SENATORS COMING FROM BEHIND HIS OWN NET.
ANOTHER OF THOSE CONCUSSION-INDUCING SHOULDER-PADS-TO-THE-HEAD CHECKS. THE NHL IS THE ONLY SPORT OUTSIDE OF BOXING THAT DOES NOT PROTECT IT'S ASSETS FROM BLOWS TO THE HEAD. EVEN THE NFL WITH THE EVER-INCREASING SIZE AND WEIGHT OF IT'S PLAYERS HAS SEEN FIT TO IMPLEMENT BLOWS-TO-THE-HEAD RULES. JUNIOR HOCKEY IN ONTARIO NOW HAS TAKEN STEPS TO STOP WHAT CLEARLY IS A TOTAL LACK OF RESPECT FOR AN OPPONENT BY PLACING A PENALTY IN THE RULEBOOK TO COVER BLOWS TO THE HEAD ACCIDENTAL OR NOT.
THE MAJORITY OF PLAYERS, AT LEAST PUBLICALLY, SAY INJURIES OF THIS SORT ARE JUST PART OF THE GAME. SAY THAT TO ROB DIMAIO OR PATRICK EAVES OR FOR THAT MATTER CHRIS DRURY, FRANTISEK KABERLE, TREVOR LETOWSKI, JASON WILLIAMS OR AARON DOWNEY ALL OF WHOM HAD DATES WITH AN ARENA STRETCHER OVER THE LAST
3 MONTHS.
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